Paid transitional work at animal shelters
Good work, real pay, and a team that shows up for you.
Project Nova helps people returning from incarceration step into paid, meaningful work caring for shelter animals — with training, steady support, and a clear path toward lasting employment.
Free to start. Create an account, answer at your own pace, and save your progress anytime.
What Project Nova is
Real paid work
A transitional placement at a partner animal shelter — real responsibilities, real wages, real experience for your résumé.
Training that counts
Hands-on training and certifications in animal care that you keep, whatever comes next.
Support that stays
A coordinator who knows you and a supervisor on site — people whose job is to help you succeed.
How the journey works
Six steps, one at a time. You’ll always know where you are and what happens next.
Start your application
Tell us about yourself in plain questions — no trick wording, no test. You can save your progress and come back anytime.
We get to know each other
Our team reviews your application and meets with you for a real conversation. Eligibility is determined during this review, and we keep you informed at every step.
Get ready
Before your placement starts, you complete onboarding and hands-on training — and earn certifications that stay with you wherever you go next.
Match with a shelter
We propose a placement that fits your schedule, strengths, and transportation. You see the details and decide — a match only moves forward when it works for you too.
Work with the animals
Paid transitional work at a partner animal shelter, with a supervisor on site and a Project Nova coordinator in your corner. Your hours are tracked and approved every week.
Step into what's next
As your placement winds down, we work with you on the move to permanent employment — building on the record, skills, and references you've earned.
What to expect
What you bring
- Showing up — for your schedule, your team, and the animals
- Willingness to learn, even when it’s new or hard
- Care — animals depend on the people around them
What we bring
- Paid transitional work and training that leads to certifications
- A coordinator and an on-site supervisor who want you to succeed
- Honest communication about where you are and what’s next
Who can apply
Anyone can start an application, and we review every one. Eligibility is determined during the review process — starting an application isn’t a guarantee of acceptance, and we’ll be straight with you about where things stand at every step. If now isn’t the right time, you may apply again later.
Ready when you are.
Creating your account is the first step — the application itself is plain questions, at your pace, saved as you go.
Create Your Account